ITs criticised for paying consultants €1m

The Cork Institute of Technology, above, and the Institute of Technology Tralee spent €571,803 to prepare for a proposed mergerGETTY IMAGES

Institutes of technology have been criticised for spending almost €1 million on consultants before proposed mergers.

The Dáil’s public accounts committee expressed concern that €968,000 was spent on external advisors for accountancy, legal, PR and management consultancy fees between 2014 and 2017. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) revealed that €571,803 was spent jointly by the Cork Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology Tralee in relation to its planned merger to form the Munster Technological University.

The Dublin Institute of Technology and its counterparts in Tallaght and Blanchardstown has spent €344,000 on a similar proposal. Smaller sums were spent on projects to merge ITs in Sligo, Letterkenny and Galway/Mayo and colleges in Carlow and Waterford.

Seán Fleming, the committee chairman, said that questions would…

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